Recyclable Li-Ion Batteries

Stated in many of my previous blogs, today's society is rapidly advancing, with new technologies emerging in a matter of seconds. These advancements, though they lead to a much more sophisticated lifestyle and satisfy the desires for better items, have had a huge environmental impact. Materials lead, bisphenol-a, and other toxic molecular and ionic compounds and elements are required for advanced electronics are often left in landfills and poison nearby ecosystems. In fact, humanity's desire to continue to advance at such a rapid pace has made society numb and without concern for the earth; humanity no longer takes time to consider all the negative long term effects of developing new technologies, or explore new methods and techniques to make products more friendlier to the environment. Therefore, despite a small step, many companies are offering ecofriendly products and exploring new ways to make their products more efficient rather than making new items with such deadly substances. An example of this is an ecofriendly lithium ion battery, which, developed at the Uppsala University’s Ångström Laboratory, is made from substances extracted from alfalfa and pine resin. With these batteries, lithium can be extracted with chemicals such as water and ethanol, substances that pose little harm to the environment. Furthermore, the new batteries are able to deliver 99% of power in typical lithium batteries. Though this is not the first method of developing an ecofriendly battery, the concept of reusing lithium is significant in that it offers a cost effective technique to create new batteries without having to research new methods that could pose an even greater threat to the environment. To see more about this battery, go to the following link: http://www.gizmag.com/recycled-battery-alfalfa-seeds-pine-resin/34031/